The Manger and the Cross

Sorry y'all - Christmas has been busy and I have completely left this little blog in the dust trying to keep up! Here's a few updates of my crazy, little life:

 I finished up my first semester of junior year with a 4.0! It was a complete relief knowing that I no longer have to worry about finals or projects or percentages for a short 2 weeks :) 

Two days ago, I got to celebrate 1 year cancer free with my sweet momma! It is such a blessing to have her as a mentor and role model while also having her as my best friend. She is so strong & brave and I'm so grateful to be able to celebrate this gigantic milestone with her! 

I attended my first Lessons & Carols at Good Shepherd this past Sunday and boy, it just reminded me why I fell in love with this church all over again. The greening of the church was beautiful and it was jam packed with everyone.. It felt like Christmas! I'm so thankful to have found Good Shepherd 3 months ago (it does not feel like it was that long ago!) and be able to celebrate end of Advent in a community like the one at Good Shepherd.

One of my favorite Episcopal priests posted this as his Facebook status the other day; it was a part of his sermon for the 4th Sunday in Advent. 

  "Whomever we hated, Jesus loves. Whomever we feared, Jesus loves. Whomever we ignored, Jesus loves. He loves them enough to change them -- God leaves nobody unchanged -- but where we see castes and pyramids and social ladders, Jesus sees only the wounded in need of heaven's healing."

I too easily separate the manger from the cross, when in reality the coexist together throughout the Bible. My infinitely powerful God came into the world as a fragile, dependent child who desired to unveil a truth to a people He so loved. My infinitely powerful God grew into a man, bore my sin and subjected Himself to death on a cross: a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. 

I love Christmas.

Xoxo, Ash

 

WBC, Frustration and Grace.

I was reading through some Huffington Post articles today and I came across 'Westboro Baptists Will Picket Paul Walker's Funeral' and my heart instantly broke into a million pieces.. And then I got frustrated. Yes, yes, I know, I shouldn't lost my temper with these articles and headlines but it just gets to me. It gets to me because I have this amazing God who has revealed Himself to me over the past 4 years and I have fallen more and more in love with Him. It's been a crazy ride - and I haven't always stuck to his path - but it's been worth it. I've grown into a girl who understands where my beauty comes from: Him. I am accepted and loved by Him, and it's all that matters. I have relationships with true friends who walk with Christ and strive to be like Christ with me, making the journey that much easier.
This God that I've come to know, doesn't seem to be the same one that they've begun to follow.
A few minutes before that I had read an article (and shared it on my Facebook page) called 'What People Are Really Thinking When They Invite You To Church' and this article struck me with a quote that embodied my walk with Christ completely.  

The people that invite you to church are just like that friend that insists that you try the new Puerto Rican restaurant downtown, they have experienced something amazing and they want it for you too. It's like that, but on almighty steroids. When a friend or a kindly stranger, a relative or a playgroup parent, says "Hey, why don't you come to church with me on Sunday?" what they mean is "I love you so much, I cannot describe what I know you can get from this because I can't even put into words what it has done for me." We understand that when you live in a world of sneaky advertising and suspicious sales scams, this sounds like just another one. But, it isn't.

The fall semester of my 8th grade year, an amazing Wyldlife leader, Aarika Stanton, invited me to go to 608 at Southland. Although I don't call Southland my home church anymore, I encountered a young, Christian community that was running towards the cross with me. A first in my life. 
I think that's why I am so frustrated with WBC and the image they have. They condemn the world. They push their views on the world in pickets and protests of funerals. I've learned that my Father pushes me and asks me to just love them. Relentlessly; just like He's loved me. I've battled against a Satan who knows my name but calls me by my sin. A Satan who condemns and hates and attempts to keep me surrounded in my sin. The God I know, the all-knowing, all-powerful God I've decided to follow, knows my sin but chooses to call me BY NAME. I have walked away from Him, turned against His path laid out for me and chosen to try life on my own, and all of them left me empty. Yet, when I realize I need Him and His help, He welcomes me back into His arms openly. Again and again. No questions asked. 
He's got abundant grace just waiting for us. How amazing is that?
Xoxo, Ash

Light vs. Darkness throughout Advent

With Advent starting this past weekend extremely close to Thanksgiving, which kinda sorta threw my internal clock off, it got my heart and mind ready and anxious to spend the next 3 and a half weekend patiently awaiting His arrival. 

I'm reading a devotional throughout this season that highlights the major ideas around Advent and the Christmas story. The verse today was from John 1: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Well DANG y'all. That's some crazy, heavy stuff. He's got it all. The entire world, the stars, the trashcan sitting across my room and the iPhone sittin' in my lap. Only He holds this light - this light that can free me from my past and my fear - and it fearlessly and relentlessly goes up against darkness, darkness I create. 

“Inside all of us is a light, but some beacons are darker than others, and some are so dark they never realize they are a form of light at all.”
― Courtney M. Privett, Mayfly Requiem 

All my love, Ash xoxo

Fast Paced

JEEZ. Life has been moving incredibly fast lately and I don't know how big of a fan I am of it considering Thanksgiving was 4 days ago and Christmas is in 25 days..

Last weekend, I got to have some fun and travel down to Tuscaloosa to take a visit around the University of Alabama and lemme tell you.. I LOVED IT. It was a beautiful campus that instantly felt like home! I could picture myself fitting right into the life down there. I also got to experience my first Alabama football game and that was just crazy compared to Commonwealth and UK (sorry Cats!). Overall, I think I'm just in love with the idea of college at the moment but we'll just have to wait & see :)

 I also just printed off my GSP application (like 2 minutes ago) which is SO EXCITING. It's finally real! Now I just can't wait to get it off my hands tomorrow and let the panels of reviewers do their magic :) 

All my love and Christmas cheer, Ash xoxo

Perfect Timing

Wow. His timing really is perfect. I sat down to read my devotional for the day (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) and I was immediately struck by how perfect it was for my crazy life lately.

Leave outcomes up to Me. Follow Me wherever I lead, without worrying about how it will all turn out. Think of your life as an adventure, with Me as your Guide and Companion. Live in the now, concentrating on staying in step with Me. When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help. When we come to a resting place, take time to be refreshed in My Presence. Enjoy the rhythm of life lived close to me.
You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven. So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me.
Psalm 27:13-14; Exodus 15:13

Fall semester of junior year has FLOWN by.. Jeez I can't believe it. I have been so busy trying to keep up with all the classes, clubs and service I do, that it has all just passed me by so quickly. I have been so focused on the finish line (graduation and college) that I have forgotten that this is a journey. A journey filled with really great memories and hard choices to be made. But when I make these choices in the comfort of His love, I am able to be confident in my choices knowing that I will not be forsaken. 

Lord: 
Thank you for putting great reminders like this one in my path right when I need it. You are so great and sovereign. You are relentlessly after my heart and I'm so grateful for that. I pray that I can live more consciously in this rest You're offering me. Amen.  

Carrots

It's taken about 24 hours to fully decompress from Happening #51, and after each minute I become more and more aware of what happened this weekend and how uniquely special it is. I never expected this past weekend to end up the way it did. 
I hadn't taken the time lately to realize just how far I had wandered from the path set out for me and how that was slowly hardening my heart to love. This weekend sure did the trick; I have never felt to surrounded and uplifted with genuine, complete love in my entire life. 
Having the chance to basically wash feet all weekend was beautiful. I got to wake up in the morning and wash feet over and over again for 15 straight hours; I got to share, expand and talk about God's kingdom for 15 straight hours. I have never felt more blessed and thrilled to have walked beside so many faithful and beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ. 
These moments are unique and exclusive to that mountain and that family that was there this past weekend. It can never be duplicated or reenacted. 
I will never be able to thank the staff, steering committee and happeners enough for who they are and what they did for me this weekend. I so beautifully saw God through every smile, hug and laugh.
This weekend I'm thankful for I Won't Give Up, roadtrips, comfy chairs, butterfly wings, brown paper bags, silent hypes, Unashamed Love and journeys. 

We came as strangers and left as a family.

I think I got what a taste of Heaven was like this past weekend. And I can't wait to share it with you. All my love and carrots, Ash. Xoxo.

1 Year Makes All The Difference

1 year ago today, I left my sweet home to go to my home away from home, the Cathedral Domain. I sometimes get lazy and forget how important this weekend was to me and how close I will hold it to my heart. I forget how this weekend was the starting point for my mom's battle with breast cancer and how I coped for the months following. 

I forget how thankful I am for Abbey Vogel. How thankful I am for how gracefully she led us and how clearly Christ worked through her. During the weekend she taught us that we were a part of a family, a family that would love us for the rest of our lives. 

I came home from this amazing weekend to immediately hear the news that my mom would have to battle breast cancer. I was devastated.

I am so thankful for a year's time. I look back on this year fondly, through all the peaks and valleys and tears and laughter. I have grown and learned to take life as it comes. I've learned to appreciate the time we've got because sooner or later, things will change, people will change and we will never forget how those moments and people made us feel. Sometimes I get too caught up in the insignificant moments of high school or weight of my looming college choices that I forget that I have a family; I have a family that will love me if I go to that party or not; I have a family that will love me wherever I go to college. I forget too quickly that I have a family. 

Xoxo, Ashleigh
 

"Someone once told me that this is the place where everything's better and everything's safe." One Tree Hill

 

Fight the Good Fight of the Faith

Here I am, apologizing, yet again, for letting this blog get away from me.. It's a hard thing to keep up with when life starts to get out of hand (and when you have a super uninteresting life and can't really find anything earth-shattering to write about).

It has been a crazy couple weeks though; everything that has happened has put everything in perspective in the best kinds of ways. 

A week ago today, I had some really bad health issues at school and had to be taken to this hospital by EMS - boy, am I not used to that! The tests took all day and I was exhausted. But, at the end of the day, I was thrilled to know I was on the right track to feeling like myself again. On Halloween, I was very thankful for my health and the EMS teams, nurses and doctors that took care of me so wonderfully that day. 

I've also gotten wrapped up in finishing out the last 6 weeks of this semester (I'm so not ready for finals yet..) and all the busy, but exciting things I get to do in the next couple weeks. 

I've really been thinking about 1 Timothy 6:12 lately and it's really starting to hit home.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Wow. I have been called by my Creator to fight this battle against those who call me by my sin. I have been called to confess my testimony over and over again to those around me. I have been called to take hold of the eternal life to which I have been called to.

As I continue to grow and learn through the Episcopal Church, I understand this calling more and more and feel more equipped and empowered to take it on, day by day. Although it may seem looming, scary and a heavy burden, I understand that the Lord is working through me. And that is one exciting thing. 

All my love, Ashleigh 

I also had a little bit of fun hanging out with some TriDelts at UK last weekend!

And celebrating one of my favorite's 17th birthday, Siobhan/Chevron/Sio!

Fall Fun

Oh, what a weekend. It's been a crazy one but so fun and so worth it. It was nice to finally get the ACT out of the way; that's one more thing that's out of my hands and off my schedule :)

But the highlight of my weekend was getting to see and participate in Mary Thompson's confirmation into the Episcopal Church. It was such an amazing reminder of the great friends we have and how important it is to be there for them when you get to celebrate their stories. It always is fun to be around Domain friends; it makes you feel like you're home, even if it's only for a little while. 

Mary's confirmation also reminded me of how dearly I love the Episcopal Church already. I'm still new at this whole thing but even when I came to Trinity this morning, I felt apart of a family that had open arms. I felt apart of something bigger than myself, and I'm so grateful for that.

As each week passes, I get closer and closer to Happening, my Alabama visit and Thanksgiving (aka days off of school, finally!) This semester is getting close to its end so quickly.. I feel like I just started this silly blog a few days ago!

I hope you all have had a wonderful fall weekend and enjoy some company today. 

All my love, Ash

Life and Jelly Beans

I saw one of my favorite bloggers (Monogram Meredith) blog about this video she saw from one of my other friends, Hallie on some social media some other day about jelly beans. Honestly, the only reason I watched this video was because I really love jelly beans.. They're so good. 

But after watching it, I never stopped to realize how much time we spend doing things that, in the long run, will be so insignificant to who we are and who we become, like watching TV, "grooming", and preparing food/eating/drinking (which I know my number is WAY higher.. It's a never ending process). We spend much smaller amounts of time serving others.. 2,676 days spent watching TV compared to 564 days dedicated to serving others.

It put a visual picture to the short amount of time we have here, and how much time we've already used.. Which is scary enough. Sometimes I get so caught up in raising my ACT score 1 point or getting a good grade on my test, that I seem to forget that I have so many more days to worry or stress, and I am only 17 for so long. Senior year is quickly approaching and going our own ways is beginning to seem more and more real. I can't wait to finish out these last two years of high school well and with my best friends at my side. I hope I can invest my days in new ways, ways that impact others and cause others to feel loved and important. 

I hope to use my jelly beans for good :) 

Happy Tuesday!! All my love, Ash

Spread Thin

Shoot, I've let this blog get away from me this month :( 

It's been an insane past few weeks with me constantly going and going with no end in sight. Tests, meetings, babysitting, DYC, anything and everything has been taking up so much space in my planner. 

I've been feeling spread thin, weary, and I find myself more and more bitter towards those I love because of it. 

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139: 7, 9-10, 23-24)

Sometimes I'm too busy and self-absorbed to realize how much weight my words and actions carry; I forget too easily how important it is to use my words and actions for good, even when I'm tired or lazy. 

I can keep running, but He is always gonna be following close behind me.

Lord: 

Thank you for the opportunity to have a full schedule, to be involved, to be desired and heard by those in my community. Thank you for opportunities to wash someone else's feet in the simplest ways. Push me and convict me to love and serve even when I'm tired or just don't feel like it. I want YOU to shine through ME. 

Amen.  

What A Week

This week was crazy in so many different ways. It was our last full week before our fall break week (PTL!) and I was pushing to get through. But, after school was finally over, I got to walk in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Lexington yesterday. Walking across the finish line hand in hand with my mom was something I had never imagined possible until yesterday. It was a perfect symbol of her almost 1 year anniversary. She embodies everything that I hope I can one day be to my family, and she doesn't get nearly enough credit for all the things she puts up with on a daily basis from us. There were quite a few times during the race that I couldn't keep the tears back; times when I looked around at the hundreds of people who all have their own stories surrounding breast cancer, when I looked at my mom and dad who are now more in love than ever because of it, when I walked across the finish line holding my 3 year old cousin's hand. It was the most perfect reminder of how thankful I am for my mom and how badly I want to live in a world without breast cancer.

I finished up my week in the best possible way: with Good Shepherd. Father Cole spoke perfectly about our mustard seed sized faith and why it is so important that we set out on the path laid before us now, instead of when we believe we have accumulated enough faith to set out on our journey. Our mustard seed sized faith can uproot trees and move mountains; it is enough.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20.

All my love, Ash. 

God. Is. So. Good.

I've spent the past year church-hopping, trying to find the best fit for me in this ever-changing part of my life. I've spent all this time hoping I find a church I didn't mind going to or that I could bear; I never expected it to feel like home.

 I met Matt & April Elliot through the Domain, and they have taken over the Youth program at Good Shepherd Episcopal in Lexington. I got pushed into trying out their youth group - and fell in love. I loved the easy going, small atmosphere it provided with kids my own age. So this Sunday, I tried their 9AM Eucharist.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it feels like home. The small congregation, style of service and clergy welcomed me in the second I stepped inside. I've spent all this time hoping to find a force-fit when I never needed to have one in the first place; Good Shepherd fits like a glove :)
It felt like  the longest day of my life (as I'm sitting here writing this post about to fall asleep at 7:27PM..) but it was so worth it. I'm excited to see where the rest of this chapter takes me as a newbie-Episcopalian but I know this has been the "what's in store for me" for so long. I've found home. I've found where I'm supposed to be. 

I'm so thankful for everyone in my life who's had a hand in this step in my life. It's a new chapter, but an exciting one. 

All my love for a safe and wonderful week. Ash.

Heartbroken

Pulling up my Fox News app to read "Breaking News: At Least 12 Dead In DC Navy Yard Shooting" made me pause in the middle of my hectic Monday and remember those who put themselves in harm's way to protect this country everyday. President Obama put it very nicely today in his address to the American people responding to the day's events.

These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job protecting all of us. They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they faced the unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home. So we offer our gratitude to the Navy, local law enforcement, and the doctors who responded with skill and bravery.

After today, there will be kids who won't have their parent to help them with homework. There will be families who will mourn the loss of their brothers and sisters. There will be husbands and wives who will be widowed. There will be weddings missed and support systems broken down. When you take lives, you take away more than a paycheck. You take mentors, role models, friends.

Credit: The Washington Times

It breaks my heart that 5 days after the anniversary of 9/11, we find ourselves, yet again, mourning the loss of more Americans who are gone far too soon.

To put it frankly, this world needs Jesus. I think that's one thing we can all agree on. I hope and pray that one day we can live in a society and communities where we feel safe entering work and sending our kids off to school.

Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38 & 39

No horrific act of violence can distant our hearts from the Lord. If that isn't comforting, I don't  know what is. 

God bless America. 

9/11 and Psalm 23

Although I was too young to fully remember 9/11 and tragic events that played out that day, I have come to understand the story and appreciate the heroes that embodied everything I hope to be on that day. Reflecting on that day, I decided to watch George W. Bush's presidential address the night of September 11th; at the end, Bush hopes and prays that the American people will be comforted by "a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages" depicted in Psalm 23. 

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

12 years later I still feel comforted and assured by these words. Today, I pray for the lives lost, the families changed, and the country broken on September 11th. Today, I'm thankful for our service men and women who put their lives at risk everyday to defend our country against terrorism. Today, I'm thankful to be American.

All my love, Ash.

Coming Full Circle

3rd post in 3 days.. I'm feeling on top of things and it's great :) Today I signed up for the Race for the Cure with my mom and dad; I've participated in the race multiple times before but after the past year, but it has acquired an entirely new meaning. I had never had the immediate connection in my family to breast cancer, but it had clearly impacted families around me. Being able to walk with my mom this year will be something I wont ever forget.

On November 12, 2012, I would've never pictured this situation playing out the way it has. I have a new found respect for my sweet mom and all the sacrifices she makes to keep my family afloat. Those 40 days put into perspective how important she is to me and how amazing of a woman she is. She put on her bravest face for me & my brothers, when I know it was an extremely hard thing for her to do for us. Hindsight is always 20/20, and sometimes I wonder if I'd be who I am without this past year. 

I'm excited to see where this year takes my family and more importantly, my mom. I hope we continue to realize how important our time together is and continually make her feel special for who she is. 

Here's a website for you to donate if you can't make it out to the Race for the Cure on October 5th, but if you can - do! 

  

Jeremiah 29:11 always gets it right:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

 I hope y'all race for the cure. Happy Tuesday & all my love. 

Sweet Reminders

After one of the longest/most stressful/test-filled Mondays I've ever experienced, I came home to some of my favorite type of mail on the counter: Domain mail! 

I've really been in this habit of missing my friends & all the little things from camp lately; it is no fun. I thought to myself on my way to school today how pretty of a morning this would be sitting on the back porch of Patterson, talking away with my girls. I miss it more than I realize, sometimes. The sweet reminder of how close I am to another trip was just what I needed to keep me focused on school & life back at home! I'm so excited to see what's in store for not only me but everyone involved. 
2 Corinthians 17:5 is really helping me out on a day like today.

"But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded."

Hope y'all have a wonderful week. Xoxo, Ash.

Homecoming Week Insanity and A Genesis Epiphany

Homecoming week is OVER. PTL for that. I spent 10+ hours everyday (including Labor Day.. ironic?) at school, running errands and making sure everything was fully prepared for the  pep rally, game & dance.. And lemme tell you I was EXHAUSTED. And I'm rewarded with 4 tests tomorrow.. Woo Junior Year! But, it feels good to constantly be busy this year to fill the void of time left from deciding not to tryout for the volleyball team this year. I'm really happy with my choice and can't wait to see all the different things I get to do this year.

And in the midst of typing this post, my phone reminded me to read my "Essential Jesus" Bible plan on my phone. (No, I don't keep up very well sometimes.. Especially this week!) The reading for today was Genesis 12:1-9 when God calls upon Abraham to leave his country, everything he's ever known, and Abraham obeys. He is faithful to his God and knows that he has a plan; He is sovereign. I plan to spend the next week listening more than I speak. Following more than I lead. I want to relentlessly pursue a relationship with God like Abraham's.

Hope y'all had a wonderful Sunday and have an even better week. All my love, Ash.

Here's a few pictures from the Homecoming game, I was nominated to be the Junior Class Homecoming princess!

My precious Homecoming date!

Halftime

Junior Class prince and princess :)

Thoughts Along The Day

Today was such a perfect day for multiple reasons. 
1. I had a good day at school today. It was one of those days where you're just happy and content without anything earth-shattering happening. A pleasant happy. A good happy. 
2. I got to enjoy dinner with a few of my favorite girls: Sarah, Gretchen & Embry at one of my favorite places to eat, Ramsey's. They constantly remind me of how thankful I should be to have girls like them; I have no idea where I'd be without em!

 3. Sundy Best DROPPED DOOR WITHOUT A SCREEN TODAY. This topped off my day & made it perfect. They're kinfolk-y/country and I love it; they're from Lexington too, which makes me love them that much more! Local celebs, they're pretty cool. 

4. I finally feel like I'm getting a handle on this whole junior year, tons of school work, APs, extracurricular stuff, social life thing & it's so nice! Verrry time consuming but I'm convinced it'll all pay off in the end. No worries.

I hope y'all are having a wonderful Tuesday and guess what?! TOMORROW IS HUMP DAY Y'ALL. Have a wonderful rest of the week! Xoxo, Ash

First Week of School & Hard Decisions

YAY it's Saturday! So happy to finally be finished with the first week of school.. I forget how much I look forward to the weekends during the school year! It was great to be reunited with lots of friends I hadn't seen in a while & to get started on my insane class load for this year. I'm excited about every bit of it. 
Along with all of my classes, junior year has already brought hard decisions and choices in my life that will change the course of my year, no doubt. I've got a heavy heart when it comes to making this decision. But, I feel relieved sticking to my gut & going in the direction I've decided, but there's always the voice in the back of my head that pulls me back & reminds me of the regret I could feel afterwards. In my mind, I'm hoping a big risk may bring big rewards. But we'll have to wait it out & see. 
Last night, I had such a sweet conversation in the car with one of my best friends, Janie Poulton. It was so amazing to see how God was intertwined in everything we said to each other and how much she supports me in life, no matter what. It was one of those moments where I'm reminded of just how much I'm cared for. My heart was so full. The conversation reminded me of a quote off the back of my camp's staff shirts:  

Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, and not hurt.

Janie had an opportunity to convince me to change my decision, to give me grief for what I chose, or blow me off for how I felt. But in that moment, she decided to love me & I couldn't be more thankful.. It was a blessing in a day full of not-so-great moments. 
Joshua 1:9 was a nice reminder today.

This blog post is the epitome of a jumbled mess, but that's okay. It's a pretty good depiction of my mind at the moment. I hope y'all are having a wonderful day. Enjoy this pretty Saturday! Xoxo, Ash. 
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I forgot, I thought I might add a few pictures from the first day of school. We were all pretty darn cute!

Moo & I on our first day of junior year!

The group text on the first day!

LNOS & Really Good Friends

      Well, it's the last day of summer! So insane to me that it's already over :( But, I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things with school and see all the sweet friends I haven't been able to see! I got to spend LNOS (last night of summer, for those who didn't catch on) with my favorite group of girls - "the group text" - and it was SUCH a blast. I loved getting to see them all & spend time with em! They're the sole reason for my sanity sometimes :) 
      I couldn't have asked for a better summer & I have absolutely no regrets looking back on the past two months. It's so sweet to know how much I've done this summer & how much I've changed. Two months doesn't seem too long but it pushed me a lot & got me to grow up a little bit more. I had a lot of firsts this summer..

• I did my laundry at a laundromat.. It was a major struggle.
• I was away from home for 2 weeks, I missed my bed & my pup the most!
• I drove myself to & from camp on those crazy roads.. I felt like a big girl :) 
• I road tripped to Danville.
• I got my first car, and the Durango has been through a whole lot this summer.. 
• I backed into my brother's car.. And put a huuuge dent in his bumper. Whoops. 

    Random addition to today's post: I was at the mall today to prep myself for first semester when out of the blue a precious soon-to-be fifth grader comes up to me, it was one of my Co-Ed campers! I love getting to be their friend & getting the chance to invest in them. I love that they love camp & the Domain just as much as I do & that they carry those friendships with them everywhere. I love getting to be an influence & role model in their lives.
    Today I'm thankful for my top notch friends, the Durango, summertime, strengthened friendships, LNOS, Lexington and Chick-Fil-A (I ate a looot of it). 
      Hope y'all are having a fantastic last day of summer. Enjoy it! Xoxo, Ash.

Home Sweet Home

      Shew, today has been all but quiet, that's for sure! The Wallace fam bid farewell to Sanibel Island & headed back home to the Bluegrass state today (at 5AM I might add) and I couldn't have been happier! It was such a blessing to be gone for so long (2 weeks total for me, camp right next to family vacay) but there's nothing sweeter than coming home to Kentucky & a clean room :) 
      I've been frantically trying to prepare myself, outwardly & inwardly, for school in 2 days (wait.. WHAT?) & I've been all but productive in my eyes. I've got a mile long to-do list to finish in two short days & lots of friends I want to see before the summer comes to a close. My schedule isn't looking too clear around this time of year, and I don't mind it one bit :) I'm looking forward to the regularity and schedule of the school year but not quite as excited to take on my insane courses this year.. They always tell you junior year will be tough but I'm holding out hope that maybe it'll take it easy on me! 
     Just wanted to stop by to sort out my mess of a brain & keep myself occupied. Xoxo. Ash.

Summertime

     Well, I'm officially a blogger - weird/strange/out of character/mildly stupid, I know. I just got to thinking about Junior Year (what?) and how absolutely insane it is going to be, and how badly I want to remember it all. So, here I am, sitting in front of my laptop on the back porch of our beach house on Sanibel Island. 
     As I was getting everything re-packed and ready to go for our flight tomorrow, I got to thinking about this summer and how absolutely AMAZING it really was. As it's coming to a close I realized how incredibly fast it went! I've been gone for 5 entire weeks this summer, hands down the longest ever but I was more than thrilled to do it. I spent one week away at camp as a true camper - best week of my summer - and the next 3 and a half counseling kiddos from 1st grade all the way through 5th. I had been a counselor before but for some reason I walked away with a lot more than I had in summer's past. It was so rewarding to get to become such good friends with such great girls. Girl talk was always the best with them - they've got the greatest personalities :) It was nice to have the weeks broken up a bit, to get some relaxation by the pool & my laundry done! 
     In between my weeks at the Domain, I had to (regretfully) say "see ya later" to one of my sweetest & greatest friends, Mary Thompson. It was so sweet to spend an awesome year with her while she was still living in Danville but I'm so thankful for the new start she gets to have in Memphis! It was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do, but it made me realize how lucky I was to have her in my life to anchor me down when I started to get a little outta hand.. Which is pretty often :) It reminded me of that sweet Winnie the Pooh quote, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." The goodbye was tough but I'm so happy she's become such a big part of my life and who I've become in the last year.
     I've spent the past 9 days (long days, I might add) laying on the beach and by the pool on Sanibel Island with my family. It's been nice to have some alone time (actually lots of alone time) reading my summer reading books and catchin' up on my tan that I've lost from being at camp so much. I've also come to the realization that this is probably our last full family vacation for a while. With Ben (my oldest brother) scheduled to graduate in December and Clay (my middle brother) starting his sophomore year in college, we will be hard pressed to get all five of the Wallaces together for more than 5 minutes once school starts. 
     It's hard to believe that summer is wrapping itself up and school starts in 4 days - I might wanna finish up all this summer reading I've got left to do.. But it can wait :) I can't wait to see all the cool things I get to do this year with The Cathedral Domain and Henry Clay. It's about that time to start taking the ACT again & work on some GSP applications for the summer of 2014 (okay, maybe I'm a little ahead of myself there..)! 
Here's to a wonderful Junior Year.

{Attached are a few pictures to show off the highlights of my summer} 

The Cathedral on the property {credit: Mary Thompson}

These were from Senior Conference, when I was a camper. Loved every second of it.

 Hated saying goodbye to this sweet girl, but I loved getting to meet all her sweet Dtown friends. 

 While we were on the island, my mom's parents and her sister + cousin + my newest cousin, Lillian Lynn came to visit us!